The leaf and stem mines of British flies and other insects
 

(Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera)

by Brian Pitkin, Willem Ellis, Colin Plant and Rob Edmunds

 

Monochroa arundinetella (Stainton, 1858)
[Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae]

Sedge Neb


Gelechia arundinetella Stainton, 1858. Entomol. Ann.: 91
Monochroa arundinetella
(Stainton, 1858).


Leaf-miner: Rather narrow, long, corridor, of which the course largely is dictated by the venation; the mine may change direction (up/down). The larva may leave its mine and restart elsewhwere. Pupation within the mine; pupa in a white cocoon, just above the waterline (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Larva: The larvae of moths have a head capsule and chewing mouthparts with opposable mandibles (see video of a gracillarid larva feeding), six thoracic legs and abdominal legs (see examples).

Whitish; head black; pronotum laterally with a black spot (Bladmineerders van Europa).

Pupa: The pupae of moths have visible head appendages, wings and legs which lie in sheaths (see examples).

Adult: The adult is illustrated in UKMoths. The species is included in mothdissection.co.uk.

Comments: Hering (1957a) and older authors also mention Phragmites australis [as a host]; this is not repeated by later authors, and possibly stems from confusion with other species (Bladmineerders van Europa)

Hosts in Great Britain and Ireland:

Cyperaceae        
Carex acutiformis Lesser Pond-sedge British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Pitkin & Plant
Carex riparia Greater Pond-sedge British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Pitkin & Plant

Hosts elsewhere:

Cyperaceae        
Carex acutiformis Lesser Pond-sedge British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa
Carex riparia Greater Pond-sedge British Wild Flowers by John Somerville et al. Bladmineerders van Europa

Time of year - larvae: March - May (Hering, 1957).

Time of year - adults: Currently unknown.

Distribution in Great Britain and Ireland: Britain including Berkshire, Cambridgeshire, East Norfolk, Hertfordshire and West Norfolk (NBN Atlas).

Distribution elsewhere: Widespread in continental Europe including Danish mainland, Finland, French mainland, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Norwegian mainland, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden, The Netherlands and Ukraine (Fauna Europaea).

NBN Atlas links to known host species:

Carex acutiformis, Carex riparia

British and Irish Parasitoids in Britain and elsewhere: Currently unknown.



External links: Search the internet:
Belgian Lepidoptera
Biodiversity Heritage Library
Bladmineerders van Europa
British leafminers
Encyclopedia of Life
Fauna Europaea
NBN Atlas
NHM UK Checklist
UKMoths
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Last updated 18-Oct-2019  Brian Pitkin Top of page